NASA astronaut Sunita Williams returned to Earth on Thursday along with three other crew members. However, some netizens noticed certain aspects of her appearance that raised concerns. This led to speculation about her health.
This week, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center had good news to share. It revealed that SpaceX Crew-9 had successfully returned home. Posting on X, the independent government agency uploaded several images of the cheerful crew.
NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Sunita “Suni” Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, all made it back safely. In the caption of the post, the agency celebrated their return, writing, “Home sweet home.”
It stated that the quartet arrived at Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field in Houston at 11:19 p.m. CDT. Their return followed a successful mission at the International Space Station. The astronauts splashed down earlier that afternoon, with NASA welcoming them, saying, “Welcome home, Butch, Suni, Nick, & Aleksandr!”
After seeing images of the astronauts, some people focused on Williams, the only woman on the team, sharing their concerns. One person speculated, “She looks jaundiced ,hope [sic] her liver is ok.” Another said, “Sunni [sic] looks sick. I hope she is ok.”
Zooming in on one of the photos of the returning crew, a netizen asked, “What is that on Sunitas’s left arm (pic 2)?” Meanwhile, another person who noticed the same detail stated, “Second picture Sunita have IV sticking out of the sleeve. [sic]”
Concerns continued, with someone else questioning, “Why the lady looks yellow. [sic]” Another person wrote, “Those two especially, Sunni, don’t look well and both have IVs in their arms…she looks thin. [sic]”
Focusing on Williams, one person wondered, “Is that an IV line in her arm? Like another person that commented, [sic] I noticed she looks jaundiced.”
Noticing the same thing, a netizen commented, “The woman has an infusion inserted. I hope she recovers soon!!” while another remarked, “I am happy they are home. But she looks terrible. Prayers for all of them.”
Following their return, the crew is set to undergo reintegration after spending nine months away from Earth’s surface. One publication noted that Williams might be experiencing nutritional deficiencies, as she was seen with an intravenous (IV) line in her wrist.
A publication consulted several doctors to gain insight into the astronauts’ conditions. Dr. Olalekan Otulana, a general practitioner at Cassiobury Court in the UK, explained, “Sunita Williams’ visibly thin wrists could indicate muscular atrophy, particularly in the forearm muscles, which are less used in space.”
Focusing on the IV, he speculated, “The IV in her wrist is most likely for rehydration and electrolyte balance. This is very important after prolonged spaceflight to prevent dizziness and aid circulation in Earth’s gravity.”
Meanwhile, Dr. John Jaquish, a biomedical engineer at Jaquish Biomedical, suggested that Williams likely lost weight and bone density. He explained, “Without gravity, you don’t digest food as well. Compromising your ability to digest food is certainly going to contribute to muscle loss and bone loss on its own.”
The biomedical engineer also noted that the crew’s lack of movement from basic activities like walking could have contributed to Williams’ tendons and ligaments shrinking. Additionally, Dr. Vinay Gupta, a pulmonologist and Air Force veteran, shared his insights.
Gupta said, “I don’t think people realize that you need gravity to exercise your muscles, and if you don’t have gravity, your muscles have nothing to have resistance against.” Bone density loss and muscular atrophy make individuals more prone to fractures from simple movements or minor injuries, significantly reducing their mobility.
The pulmonologist also pointed out that women are more susceptible to bone density loss due to having smaller and lighter bones. A decline in protective hormones like estrogen after menopause could also contribute to the issue.
Gupta continued, “I’m not surprised that we saw and we’re seeing that she clearly has some issues there because women tend to be impacted by these things more than men.” Williams’ apparent weight loss may also be linked to spending months in a zero-gravity environment.
These eating habits can lead to a shrinking stomach and a reduced ability to absorb enough calories to maintain body weight. Dr. David Shafer, a plastic surgeon and owner of New York’s Shafer Clinic and Advitam Metabolic Wellness Clinic, also weighed in on the matter.
These eating habits can lead to a shrinking stomach and a reduced ability to absorb enough calories to maintain body weight. Dr. David Shafer, a plastic surgeon and owner of New York’s Shafer Clinic and Advitam Metabolic Wellness Clinic, also weighed in on the matter.
Shafer was referring to the shelf-stable, pre-packaged foods that have been freeze-dried and need rehydration. The doctors continued analyzing the astronauts’ conditions, with Jaquish pointing out that NASA personnel appeared to be supporting Williams and Wilmore, suggesting they had balance issues.
Jaquish explained, “Someone is hanging on to them because they could just easily tip over. They have lost their ability to balance themselves in the Earth’s gravitational field.”
Addressing speculation about Williams’ yellow-tinged skin, or possible jaundice, both Jaquish and Gupta gave input. They suggested her appearance could simply be due to not being exposed to sunlight for months. Additionally, Dr. Carole Lieberman, a Beverly Hills psychiatrist, discussed the potential psychological impact of the mission on Williams.
Lieberman noted, “These astronauts have been in space for nine months, [sic] when they were only supposed to be up there for 10 days. For most of this time, they couldn’t be sure they would ever be rescued, which is tremendously stressful.”
The psychiatrist added, “Sunita Williams put on a brave face and told everyone she was happy to have this extra time in space, but the prospect of facing a slow death in a space capsule is a thing that nightmares are made of – and it took a toll on her psyche.”
She continued, “Worrying about being rescued is stressful enough, but then pretending to herself and others that she is not worried takes an even greater toll.” Williams will need to be gradually reintroduced to food, and her exercise regimen will also have to progress at a slow pace.
